Since man first began to observe birds in the wild, he has been interested in creating nesting habitats so that the birds would stay in the local area and thus be more readily available for observation. To this end various configurations of bird houses have been developed and many have been successful in attracting certain desired species. Such houses have invariably been out-of-doors where they need to be of substantial, weatherproof construction, which can be expensive and which limit the opportunity to closely observe the birds during their mating, nesting, and family raising phases.
Furthermore, the disparity in size and habits of various species, and the differences in their nesting requirements make it difficult to provide for any significant range of species.